(The Best Years in Life)
Can you remember a time when almost
every moment of life felt new, joyous,
full of energy and simply wonderful?
Can you remember the kiss of a breeze on
your skin, or what it felt like when the
love below started talking to you? If
so, thank testosterone, the hormone that
made it all possible. If you want to
feel that way again, all it takes is
replacing testosterone to the levels you
once had. In the process you will be
underwriting your own good health for
years to come.

Testosterone is the primary
steroid hormone of both males and females, and its loss is a drastic, life
changing event that can only be remedied by its replacement. Optimal levels of
testosterone are essential for hormone balance and the homeostasis that signals
vibrant health. Testosterone is the balancing hormone for the aggressive
tendencies of estrogen, and without it breast cancer becomes a real possibility,
as do many other degenerative diseases.

Although healthy males produce
about eight times the amount of testosterone that healthy females do, females
are more sensitive to the hormone. Testosterone levels in men and women drop as
they begin to age, but that drop is more pronounced in women, with testosterone
loss beginning earlier and levels declining at a more precipitous rate.

The optimal range of
functioning in humans that we refer to as homeostasis
occurs within a relatively narrow range. When any hormone falls outside of that
range, there are consequences that occur at the cellular, organ and systems
levels.

Testosterone brings
humans into full living color

Testosterone is produced in the
testes in males, and in the ovaries in females. A small amount is also produced
in the adrenal glands.

In both sexes testosterone
provides motivation, assertiveness, a sense of power and control, feelings of
well being, and enhanced drive. With adequate testosterone anything seems
possible, and men and women are able to take risks and live their lives with
enthusiasm and zest. Without adequate testosterone, we exist as if in black and
white. It is testosterone that brings us into full living color.

Testosterone conveys powerful
anti-aging effects for men and women, primarily because of its effects on
muscles and bones. Testosterone teams up with estrogen and progesterone to
increase bone mineral density and prevent osteopenia and osteoporosis. It
strengthens all the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the body.

Testosterone's ability to keep
muscles toned extends to the heart, which is one of the largest muscles in the
body. Men are notorious for having heart attacks when their testosterone level
gets low, and now researchers are finding that low testosterone is also behind
the increase in heart attacks seen in middle aged women.

The fact that testosterone
turns fat into toned muscle is what makes exercise workouts worthwhile. Without
adequate levels of testosterone you can spend hours at the gym without gaining
hardly any benefit.

In addition to heart attacks,
low levels of testosterone in women are associated with:

Testosterone is a potent
detoxifier that keeps the liver and blood vessels clean, and the skin supple and
moist. It works with estrogen to promote the health of cerebral blood vessels.

Testosterone improves looks,
figure, energy, outlook, enjoyment of living, mood, ability to handle stress,
sex appeal and sexual fulfillment. Testosterone improves clitoral and nipple
sensitivity, libido, and the ease and quality of orgasms. Whether you are a man
or a woman, testosterone can bring back your ability to have an orgasm, one of
the major signposts of good health.

Testosterone slips away
unnoticed, at least at first

Females produce increased
amounts of testosterone during most of what was once thought of as their prime
reproductive years. Levels peak in their early twenties and as they decline, sex
drive declines too. By the time a woman reaches menopause, she will have less
than half of the testosterone she once had. She will also have lost elasticity
in her vagina and vulva, and be experiencing painful intercourse, and a shrunken
clitoris.

It is testosterone along with
progesterone that balances the effects of estrogen, allowing women the full
benefits of estrogen without the danger of breast or other hormone related
cancers. The presence of optimal levels of all three hormones in perfect balance
is why young women are almost always the picture of health.

When progesterone and
testosterone levels decline, many women become estrogen dominant,
a term that does not mean too much estrogen. Rather, estrogen dominance
means estrogen is the dominant steroid hormone because levels of progesterone
and testosterone have dwindled, and there is now nothing to balance its
actions. This is when the aging process gets into high gear and the door is
opened to breast cancer and other degenerative diseases.

Testosterone is a powerful
inhibitor of inflammation, the condition that many health gurus say is the
opening salvo of the degenerative disease process. In addition to protecting the
heart, testosterone lowers LDL and raises HDL cholesterol, and normalizes blood
glucose levels.

Having trouble
sleeping?

Remember what it was like to
sleep like a rock when you were a kid? That kind of sleep experience is lost
when testosterone levels decline. Difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying
asleep, night sweats and hot flashes are signaling that you do not have optimal
hormone levels and balance. A good night's sleep is one of the first signs that
you are on the mend when you restore your hormonal equilibrium.

Do you know how critical a good
night’s sleep is to your health? Recently two different research teams have
linked sleepless nights with early death and the initiation of diabetes.
Interestingly, they define sleepless nightsas less than six hours of sleep.

As with the other hormones,
balance is the key when using bioidentical testosterone. Signs of too much
testosterone in women are facial hair, coarsening body hair, acne, and
aggression. If you experience any of these symptoms, it means your dose of is
too high and needs to be adjusted. Symptoms resolve quickly when this is done.

Want to learn more about
testosterone and other hormones? Many of the leading specialists in anti-aging
have highly informative websites. Here are some of the best:

Barbara is a school psychologist and the author of Dividend Capture, a book on personal finance. She is a breast cancer survivor using bioidentical hormone therapy, and a passionate advocate of natural health with hundreds of articles on many aspects of health and wellness. She is the editor and publisher of AlignLife's Health Secrets Newsletter.

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